Mechanism for operating friction-clutches.



PATENTED MAY 17, 1904.

E. TURNEY. MECHANISM FOR OPERATING FRICTION GLUTGHES.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 4, 1903.

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APPLIGATION FILED SEPT. 4, 1903.

2 SHEETS-SHEBT 2 N0 MODEL.

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'in the county of Multnomah and State of Ore-' crating mechanism of the character specified. With the objects above mentioned and the novel construction and arrangement of accompanying drawings, and particularly associated therewith. Fig. 2 is a view in end 'clutch of any preferred design, but which UNITED STATES Patented May 17, 1904.

PATENT OEEIcE.

EDWARD TURNEY, OF PORTLAND, OREGON, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-FOURTH TO HARRY L. TURNEY, OF PORTLAND, OREGON.

MECHANISM FOR OPERATING FRlCTlON-CLUTGHES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 7 60,089, dated May 17, 1904.

Application filed September 4;, 1903.

To all whmn it may concern.-

Be it known that I, EDWARD TURNEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Portland,

gon, have invented a new and useful Mechanism for Operating Friction-Clutches, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to certain improveprovements in mechanism for operating friction-clutches; and it consists in the improvements hereinafter specified upon the clutch-; operating mechanismdisclosed in Letters Patent of the United States N o. 7 28,521, granted to me on May 19, 1903.

The principal object of the invention is to provide in a clutch-operating mechanism adapted for the automatic return of the several parts to inoperative position after the disengagement of the clutch means for reducing the friction by throwing all of the strain incident to the operation. of the mechanism upon the shaft and the extension thereof upon which the operatingmechanism is A further object of the invention is to reduce the number of parts, simplify the construction, and lessen the cost of a clutch-opothers in view the invention is embodied in parts hereinafter described, illustrated in the pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1- is a view, partly in side elevation and partly in section, of aclutch with the clutch-operating mechanism elevation of the cl etch-operating mechanism. Fig. 3 is a view in longitudinal section through the clutch-operating mechanism, the View being made on a larger scale than the preceding View to show the details of construction.

In the drawings, in which similar numerals of reference are employed to indicate the corresponding parts throughout the several views, 1 designates a shaft which may carry a frictionpreferably bears a spool or winding-drum 2- Serial No. 171,998. No model.)

The shaft 1 is mounted for rotation in suitable bearings, as 3, carried upon the frame or bed of an engine. a portion of which. is indicated at 4. The shaft is providednear one end with a clutch-disk 5, having a laterally.- projecting beveled flange or rim 6, and the spool or drum is provided with a flange 7, whose inner face is inclined for frictional engagement. with the flange or rim 6 when the spool ordrum is moved toward the disk 5 against the tension of thespiralcompressionspring 8, thereby to lock the spool or drum to the shaft 1 and cause its rotation with the shaft.

The shaft 1 is provided with an axial bore or passage 9 for the reception of a longitudinally-movable clutch-operating member 10, which will preferably be provided at its end with a transversely-disposed head 11, movable in a diametrical slotlQ through the shaft and provided at its extremities with lugs 13 for engagement with a collar 14, slidable on ,the shaft and bearing against the inner end of the spool 2. y

The mechanism thus far described is that of a clutch patented to me August 20, 1901., by Letters Patent 680,900 and forms no part of the present invention, the structure being illustrated in order to show one application ofthe clutch-operatingmechanism hereinafter to be described.

Referring to Fig. 3, :16 designates a nut threaded onareduced terminal 17 of the. shaft 1 and forming asupport-for the clutch-operating mechanism. The nut 16 is slotted adjacent to theend of the shaft 1 for the reception. of a transversely-disposed key 15, which will preferably be made of tool-steel and which will when the nut is in position on the end of the shaft lie in contact with the end of the longitudinallymovable clutch-operating member "10, which projects beyond the end of the shaft 1, as shown in Fig. 3. The slot within which either side of the nut 16. Loose upon the nut 16 at the inner side of the key is a collar 18, and threaded upon the outside of the nut 16 in position to engage with the collar 18 is a thrust-nut 19, having at one end an inwardlydisposed flange 19*, which engages with arabbet formed for that purpose on the collar 18. The thrust-nut 19 is held normally in the position shown in Fig. 3 by means of a spring 21, having one end inserted in an opening 23 in a collar 20, secured upon the nut 16 by means of clamp-screws 22 and encircling the nut 16 and the thrust-nut 19. The spring 21 is coiled in the space between the collar and thrust-nut 19 and has one end inserted in an opening 24, provided in the thrust-nut.

On the inner side of the collar 18 the supporting-nut 16 is reduced in diameter and has loosely mounted thereon a thrust-collar 29, having on one side a socket 29 and in which is secured an arm 31- by means of bolts 32. The collar 29 is externally threaded and has in threaded engagement therewith a thrust-nut 28, bearinga socket 28, in which is secured, by means of a screw 33, a lever 34, having at the outer end thereof a handle 34 The thrustcollar 29 is adjusted in position upon the supporting-nut 16 by means of the nuts 44 and 45, the latter ofvwhich is positively secured in any desired position by means of a small clampingscrew 46, carried thereby and engaging the nut Both the nuts 44 and 45 are provided on their peripheries with drilled openings 47 for the reception of spanners.

. The thrust-nut 28 lies adjacent to the collar 18 and is adapted to impart movement thereto by contact with one of a plurality of washers 27, secured upon the faceof the collar 18 by means of screws 26. As the friction of engagement of the thrust-nut 28 with the washers 2.7 will be considerable, the'thrust-nut-is provided with a plurality of passages .for oil,

. closed at their outer end with a suitable plug 30, and to lessen the friction between the thrust-collar 29 and the nut 44, by which it is secured in position, the oil-passage 30 closed by a lug 30, is provided in the collar 29.

As stated in'a previous paragraph, the nut 28 turns upon the collar 29, and to limit the movement in one direction of thenut 28 on the collar there is provided in a lug 41, ex-

, tending laterally from the collar 29, a setscrew 42, adjusted in position by means of a The movement of the collar 29 longitudinally of the reduced portion of the support ing-nut 16 is limited in one direction by the nut 44, as above explained, and to prevent ro- 'tary movement of the collar with the nut the o0 arm 31, which is securedin the socket 29, is held in a bracket 49, having a. recess 51, by means of oppositely-disposed clamping-screws 50, the bracket 49 being secured, by means of screws 52, upon the engine-frame 4.

Extending. through the lever 34 and the socket 28, in which the lever is seated, is a bolt 37, which assists in retaining the lever in the socket and forms a'support for a brakeband connection 36. The brake-band connection is provided with a plurality of pins 38 parallel to the bolt 37, and upon two of the pins 38 are fastened the ends of a brakeband 40, which encircles the thrust-nut 19 and is adapted to engage witha suitable braking-surface formed on the exterior thereof. A lever 48 extends laterally from the brakeband connection 36, with which it is formed integral, and the collar 48, disposed on the bolt 37 between the socket 28 and the brake connection 36, spaces the lever 48 far enough through the socket to permit the brake connection to be turned freely upon the bolt 37. At the outer end of the lever 48 there is pivotally connected therewith by means of a pin 39 a rod 35, at the outer end ofwhich is secured, by means of a clamping-screw 54, a handle or finger latch 53, which extends through a slot in the lever 34 and is disposed substantially parallel to the handle 34 From the foregoing description it will have been noted that of all of the members of the clutch-operating mechanism the nut 16 is the only one that is rigidly connected witha shaft and that the other members with the exception of the bracket 49 are carried thereon. The bracket 49, which is rigidly mounted upon the engine-frame, receives the lever 31 and serves to hold it against rotation with the nut 16, and the thrust-nut 28, which is mounted on the: collar 29, to which the lever 31 is connected, is also held normally stationary upon the collar 29 in the position'determined by the set of the screw 42. The brake-band 40, with its ends connected-to the rotatable connecting member 36, is normally held by its own elasticity out of braking contact with the surface of the thrust-nut 19, so the thrust-nut 19 revolves with the nut 16.

The action of the spring 21 keeps the collar 19 in the position shown in Fig. 3, with its inwardly-disposed flange just out of contact with the rabbeted face of the collar 18 to prevent frictional engagement therewith. The spring 8, disposed between the clutch members, keeps the longitudinally-movable clutchoperating member 10 normally protruded beyond the end of the shaft 1 in the position shown in the same figure, and the end of said member lies in contact with one face of the key 15.

To operate the mechanism to throw the clutch members into engagement, the lever 34 will be turned a short distance to force the key 15 harder against the clutch-operating memberlO, and the-handle 53 on the rod 35 will then be drawn outward toward the end of the lever 34,swinging the lever 48 upon the bolt 37 and throwing the brake-band 40 into engagement with the thrust-nut 19 to retard or stop its rotation with the nut 16.

When this is done, the engagement of the threads on the nut 16 with those of the thrustnut 19 will cause the movement of the thrustnut 19 outward against the tension of the epiral compression-spring 21, and the flange of the thrust-nut will engage the collar 18 and force it hard against the key 15, which will in turn force the longitudinally-movable member 10 longitudinally of the shaftto bring the clutch members into engagement. When the clutch members engage, the handle 53 will be released, allowing the brake-band 40 to be come disengaged from the thrust-nut 19, so that the thrust-nut may again rotate with the nut 16. The collar 19 will be held, however, in position to keep the clutch members in engagement by the friction between the flange on the thrust-nut and the rabbeted face'of said collar.

When it is desired to release the clutch, the lever 34 will be moved in the direction in which it was moved to operate the mechanism and the thrust-nut 28 will engage with the collar 18 to force it longitudinally of the shaft 1 sufiiciently to move it out of contact with the thrust-nut 19. The frictional engagement of the thrust-nut 19 and the collar 18 being overcome, the thrust-nut 19 will be returned to its initial position by the action of the spring 27, which has been wound by the movement of the thrust-nut in applying the clutch, and at the same time the lever 34 will be returned to its initial position likewise.

By arranging the parts of the clutch-operating mechanism as above described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings the construction is materially simplified, the strain is all applied to the shaft and the supportingnut 16, which forms an extension thereof, and the eost of manufacture is considerably lessenec.

While the construction described and illustrated is that preferred, it is obvious that various changes in the form, proportions, and exact mode of assemblage of the elements of the structure may be made without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

Having thus described the construction and operation of my inventiomWhatI claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. The combination in clutch operating mechanism of a rotatable shaft, a longitudinally-movable clutch-operating member, a supporting-nut fixed on the end of said shaft, a thrust-nut threaded on the supporting-nut, a thrust-collar loose on the supporting-nut and adapted to be engaged by the thrust-nut, means for retarding or stopping the rotation of the thrust-nut and means adjustable to operative position by the operation of the clutchoperating mechanism for returning the thrustnut to initial position.

2. The combination in clutch operating mechanism, of a rotatable shaft, a longitudinally-movable clutch-operating member, a supporting-nut fixed upon the shaft, a thrustnut threaded on the supporting-nut, a thrustcollar loose on the supporting-nut, means for retarding or stopping the rotation of the thrust-nut, and a spring wound by the movement of the thrust-nut in operating the clutchoperating mechanism for returning the thrustnut to initial position.

3. The combination in clutch operating mechanism, of a rotatable shaft, a longitudinally movable clutch operating member, a supporting-nut fixed on the shaft, and having a diametral slot, a key disposed in said slot and in contact with the longitudinally-movable member, a thrust-nutthreaded on the supporting-nut, a collar looseon the supporting-nut and adapted to be engaged by the thrust-nut, means for retarding or stopping the rotation of the thrust-nut, and means adjustable to operative position by the operation of the thrust-nut in forcing the collar into engagement with the key to return the thrust-nut to initial position.

4. The combination in clutch operating mechanism, of a rotatable shaft, a longitudinally movable clutch operating member, a supporting-nut fixed on the shaft, a thrustnut threaded on the supporting-nut, a collar loose on the supporting-nut, said thrust-nut having a flange adapted for engagement with said collar, means for retarding or stopping the rotation of the thrust-nut, a spring Wound by the operation of the thrust-nut, and means for disengaging the thrust nut and collar when the clutch is in operative position.

5. The combination in clutch operating mechanism, of a rotatable shaft, a longitudinally-movable clutch-operating member, a supporting-nut fixed on the shaft, a thrustnut threaded on the su1: porting-nut, a collar loose on the supporting-nut and adapted to be engaged. by the thrust-nut, means for retarding or stopping the rotation of the thrust-nut, a spring wound by the operation of the thrustnut, and means for eflecting independent movement of the collar to disengage it from the thrust-nut when the clutch is in operative position.

6. The combination in clutch operating mechanism, of a rotatable shaft, a longitudinally -movable clutch-operating member, a supporting-nut fixed on the shaft, a thrust-nut threaded on the supporting-nut, a collar loose on the supporting-nut and adapted to be engaged by the thrust-nut, means for imparting independent movement to said collar, and devices carried by said means for retarding or stopping the movement of the thrust-nut.

7. The combination in clutch operating mechanism, of a rotatable shaft, a longitudinally-movable clutch -operating member, a supporting-nut threaded on the shaft, a collar loose on the supporting-nut, a thrust-nut threaded on the supporting-nut and adapted to engage said collar, a member for imparting independent movement to said collar, a brakeband encircling said thrust-nut, and means mounted on the member for imparting independent movement to the collar for forcing the brakeband into engagement with the thrust-nut.

8. The combination in clutch operating mechanism, of .a rotatable shaft, a longitudinally-movable clutch-operating member, a supporting-nut fixed on the shaft, a collar loose on said supp'ortingnut, a thrust-nut threaded on the supporting-nut and adapted to engage said collar, a spring adjusted to op erative position by the operation of said thrust-nutto restore the thrust-nut to initial position, means for imparting independent movement to said collar, a brake-band encircling said thrust-nut, a brake-band connection rotatably mounted on the means for imparting movement to thecollar, and means for turning said brake-band connection to tighten the brake-band on the thrust-nut.

9. The combination in clutch operating mechanism, of a rotatable shaft, a longitudinally-movable clutch operatiug member, a supporting-nut fixed on said shaft, a collar loose on said supporting-nut, a thrust-nut threaded on said supporting-nut and adapted to engage said collar, means for retarding or stopping the rotation of said thrust-nut, a

spring Wound by the operation of said thrust- EDWARD TURNEY.

Witnesses:

C. M. IDLEMAN, W. HOWARD ZIMMER. 

